Sophie Brownson

A Hartlepool school is over the moon after achieving ‘outstanding’ in their latest Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools (SIAMS).

St Aidan’s Church of England Primary School in Loyalty Road, has achieved the outstanding status in the inspection carried out on Anglican and Methodist Schools.

Bosses at the school, which achieved ‘satisfactory’ rating in its last inspection held in 2011, is overjoyed to have jumped four grades, which range from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate.’

The school has 352 pupils, aged three to 11 years-old, had their inspection on May 4, which looked at the effectiveness of leadership as a church school, and the effectiveness of collective worship among other areas.

Headteacher Lynn Chambers said nationally only 6% of schools had made such a jump in status.

She said: “The inspection recognises the distinctiveness of a school as a church school.

“During our last inspection five years ago we were given the rating of ‘satisfactory,’ but now we are ‘outstanding’ which is a big jump.

“We are absolutely delighted with this result.

“To celebrate we have put a big banner outside of the school and a letter has gone out to parents telling them how we have been a vastly improving school.”

The head, who has only been at the school 16 months, said the school underwent a full day of inspection which saw experts observe lessons, interview pupils, and look at data to come up with the overall result.